The National tribune., 1887-02-17
THE 9Th IOWA CAV.
COmrade Watkins Replies to Those Who Differ
With Him.

WITH Him.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: As regards
the article Of o. b. Hayden replying 10 me,
state as follows, Of the taking Of Franklin,
Tenn, Dec. IL, 1864 Ny account OF that occur
renee, made that day, j believe, is 10 the fol-
lowing effect
We moved out some three miles on the Hills
boro pike, then turned TO the left and drove
the rebels out Of Franklin. We were there so
soon that we were shelled by our own men.
think we were as early rs any one, and that
our whole brigade was deployed. do not re-
member that we had much fighting then There
may have been some other troops oil our SIDE
there about that time besides the brigade of
Col. Harrison, for AL know. am willing TO
back my own record Of facts against all crea-
tOn. no matter how many Brgadiers or others
get in the way, but / do not know that any OF
them are in the way in this case.
Quite a number Of troops had been engaged
in battle before that near Franklin, pariicu-
larry on the last day Of November and first day
Of December 1864 We passed through the
graveyard of that fight.
Gen. Hammond is quoted rs stating in effect
that the 4th Tenn of his command, was IN ad-
vance, and that il got into the fight IN question
in time 10 see the rebels retreat 30 II does not
appear by his own account that he had occasion
to fight much if any there There is nothing 10
warrant the statement by Comrade Hayden
that intended TO do en- III" If my saddle
had not turned, although was probably will
ing TO.
In my former article. except the printed
word, workmanship" which wrote =" marks
manship," there are no errors that remember.
j do not state as facts anything but what 1
either know or have reason 10 believe TO be
such. The loss of a gun there Us not on my
conscience did my part we'll believe, and
without any complaints of my conduct that
know of. i was detailed at Col. Harrison's
Brigade headquarters 10 take orders about, ON
the duty commonly called orderly not
bugler; but i suppose / have as much right 10
talk through the papers as any person. AS TO
the statement Of Watkins being afraid, II
my past record has been kept correct consider
il a sufficient contradiction TO that statement
As to the statement Of the guns of the battery
firing over US at the time mentioned, believe
the guns were not elevated enough TO IRE over
me, and i do not know that they could be on
account Of the rise Of ground. i went back
toward the battery, trying TO keep between the
exact directions the guns were pointed to keep
from being knocked TO pieces Then went on
the west side of the hollow. Col. Harrison and
j were the last TO leave the front of the bat
terry, and then the enemy was very near The
9th Iowa Cav. was on the opposite side OF the
hollow from the battery. i fancied they did
not have any one in an Indiana regiment SO
dull as not TO know that where traitors congre-
gate is sometimes not good place for patriots,
and that sometimes il is just as creditable TO
avoid blow as 10 strike one. When the reb-
els went for us / think they lost more men
than we did. understood that Forrest at
tackled with all the available force Of Hoods
army; If that was so, and we had retreated far
with the same proportiOnate loss, L suppose
Hoods army would have had no available force
left. Our losses at that fight were not large
As to the 9Th Iowa Cav. being afraid, my
private opinion is that it was as excellent n
regiment as there was in the United States
service One battalion of il, the Minnesota
battalion, was permanently taken from il 10 go
TO Minnesota 10 fight Indians, and in IFS place
we had the 9Th Iowa Infantry, there being
enough Of them left after their hard and excel
lent service TO make two companies OF about SO
men each. The 9th Iowa had been CONSOLE
dated with us shortly before the campaign after
Hood.
As TO the statement in regard TO the 9TH Ohio
Cav, do not know. They, believe, did not
have as good guns as some; but fancy their
guns would shoot far enough TO do some exc
cution in the woods and brush if they had am
munition for them. IL there were any troops
before dark that Christmas day engaged with
the enemy besides Col Harrison's Brigade, II
they will state correctly what their losses were
in killed and wounded, perhaps that will be
something 10 Judge by as to how much they
before they charged on us, i think would be
best captured by lanking them out, when VIC
had troops enough, rather than 10 take the
| place by direct assault.
As TO Col. Harrison and Gen. Wilson, ] liked
Harrison but had no faith in Wilson. Much OF
the success Of the so-called Wilson raid, think,
was due TO the men and Gen. Upton, our diyis-
ion commander Our division, j believe, was
the first that drilled his new tactics. i think
! have never been informed before that Gen.
Wilson passed through the grade of private
the grade which tries ones patriotism the most
as it is also the most arduous What Col. Har.
rison said 10 Gen. Wilson believe was correct
and Wilson appeared too honest then 10 deny
! IL. But i think Col. Harrison disappeared
] from the command after q while.
Col. Harrison and Gen. Upton, j believe, arc
dead, aud they cannot vindicate themselves il
unjustly assailcd. If other troops on our side
than HarrisOn's Brigade took part in the Christ
mas fight before dark, that was all right, but
have no recollection Of hearing or seeing il
and thought was with the advance brigad,
sll that day.-WM. w. WATKINS, 9Th lows
Cav, Bellevue, Iowa.